Ali Abolmaali

Ali Abolmaali is the Dean of the College of Engineering at Wayne State University, a role he assumed in 2022. Prior to this, he served as Chair of the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) for a decade and holds the Dr. Tseng Huang Endowed Professorship in Structural Engineering and Applied Mechanics. He founded and directed UTA's Center for Structural Engineering Research and led the Structural Simulation Laboratory.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Structural Mechanics and Engineering from the University of Oklahoma (1999)
• M.S. in Structural Engineering and Structural Mechanics from the University of Oklahoma (1984)
• B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Oklahoma (1980)

His research spans computational structural engineering, full-scale structural testing, fluid-structure interaction, and biomechanics, with applications in civil, aerospace, and underground systems. He has led high-profile failure investigations for the National Transportation Safety Board, including the Boston tunnel collapse (Big Dig), Minneapolis bridge collapse, and Big Springs, Nebraska, bridge collapse.

Scientific Recognition:

• Dr. Tseng Huang Endowed Professor in Structural Engineering and Applied Mechanics

As a principal investigator, he has secured over $38 million in research funding from local, state, and federal agencies and corporations. He directed the Structural Simulation Laboratory at UTA and contributed to critical advancements in structural analysis and safety.